The Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy has highlighted six barriers to achieving emissions reduction targets in the agriculture sector.

In a recently published report, the committee identifies 30 hurdles across all economic sectors that need to be addressed in order to accelerate progress.

Cathaoirleach of the committee Naoise Ó Muirí said it is "now increasingly clear that, despite substantial progress, Ireland will struggle to achieve the National Climate Objective of 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2018".

Agricultural emissions

The committee acknowledges that agricultural emissions are "deeply tied to economic viability and land use".

It states that "effective climate action must be paired with incentives that deliver meaningful reductions while supporting farmers and rural communities".

Under the Climate Action Plan, there is a target for a 25% reduction in emissions from the agriculture sector by 2030, compared to 2018 levels.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates a 1.1% increase in emissions for the sector between 2018-2030.

With additional measures, emissions are expected to fall by 16% to 18 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂e) by 2030.

Barriers

The report said there has been a lack of effective supports and incentives that would "derisk a move to afforestation and native woodlands", resulting in shortfalls against the annual planting target of 8,000ha.

It also stated that there has been "an insufficient shift" in forestry policy away from monoculture towards 'the right tree in the right place'.

"Landowners who previously engaged in monoculture but wish to move away towards native forestry, rewilding or rewetting more appropriate to peaty soil can face obstacles and penalties rather than supports," the report said.

The committee said there has been insufficient government supports to assist farmers to transition to more sustainable farming practices.

The report highlighted the "high cost of approved feed additives and slurry amendments needed to reduce methane emissions from livestock".

The document points to "insufficient engagement" with famers to help reduce the average cattle finishing age to 21.6 months by 2030.

Among the other barriers identified are delays in biomethane production through anaerobic digestion (AD). This is attributed to prohibitive capital costs, a lack of information and uncertainty of government supports.

The report warns of the potential impact of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which it said could slow efforts to replace Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN).

The committee also pointed to a lack of a sectoral C0₂ ceiling being set for Land Use and Land Use Change and a failure to publish Phase 2 of the government’s Land Use Review.

The report noted that "meeting the target reductions in agriculture will be hugely challenging".

"However, recent progress, driven by farmers’ efforts, shows that an optimal mix of measures and incentives can deliver significant reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs) across the sector," it said.